“I’m So Proud of You”: Vanessa Bryant Congratulates Late Daughter Gianna on Her Graduation Day.

People go, but the memories they made with their peers always stay. And if not devoted people like Vanessa Bryant, keep them alive. Kobe Bryant‘s wife, Vanessa, takes fans down memory lane with almost every social media post. We take a look at what the late NBA star’s late daughter, Gianna’s 8th grade graduation, would have been like, through the eyes of her mother.

Vanessa Bryant honors daughter Gianna on her graduation weekend

Academic milestones are always a huge deal in any child’s life. Unfortunately for late NBA icon Kobe Bryant’s late daughter Gianna Bryant, that day never came.

According to her mother and Kobe’s wife Vanessa, today would have been the day Gianna graduated middle school.

Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant died in a tragic helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. They were accompanied with seven others, of which two were Gianna’s classmates. No one survived the crash.

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Yet, Gianna and Kobe survive through Vanessa’s efforts to keep their memories alive. The mother of four recently posted a picture of the traditional graduation lei and what would have been Gianna’s 8th grade graduation diploma, along with an emotional caption.

It read, ‘Congratulations on your 8th grade graduation Gigi. I love you forever and always. I’m so proud of you. ❤️, Mommy #classof2020‘.

Gianna, who recently would have turned 14 last month, would’ve started her freshman year of high school the coming fall.

Gianna’s middle school, Harbor Day private school, honored her memory too. They retired her basketball jersey and included it in a collage of other graduates.

Moreover, back in April, the WNBA honored Gianna and the two classmates who died with her. Payton Chester and Alyssa Altobelli, and Gianna became honorary picks for the 2020 WNBA Draft.

WNBA honors Gianna

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert read out their names in an alphabetical order. During the virtual show, and said,

Vanessa, who also spoke about how proud she is, not just of Gianna but also Alyssa, Peyton and other players who are inspired by Kobe. She said,

Apart from this, Vanessa, Kobe Bryant’s wife for nearly 20 years, strives to keep the memory of her late husband and daughter alive. From promotion of Kobe’s books, to posting inspirational stories from their past. She posts old pictures of the whole family. And also those of just her with her three daughters.

It was evident that Vanessa was having trouble processing the death of her husband and daughter. However, it seems she has now emerged stronger. She seems not in denial mode, but in survival mode now.

More strength to her and the Bryant family.